Surbiton’s two top teams experienced mixed league fortunes last weekend.

In the South Clubs’ WHL Division 1 a combination of a 4-1 home win over ninth-placed Woking and Reading 1A’s 2-2 draw at Southampton boosted Surbiton Ladies’ hopes of earning promotion into the England Hockey League Conference.

In an early 10am start at Sugden Road on Saturday Surbiton led Woking 4-0 at the break, with their goals scored by Sian Craze, Lucy Clacher, Emma Broad and player/coach Helen Grant.

Surbiton now have 31 points from 11 of 18 fixtures, with Reading 1A (who, as a second team cannot be promoted) six points behind. Havant, now on 20 points from the same number of games, plus Southampton, also on 20 points but with a game in hand, are Surbiton’s nearest promotion challengers. Top of Form So their next two fixtures, away to Epsom (seventh but with a game in hand) this Saturday and at home to Reading 1A a week later, will be critical.Bottom of Form By contrast a young and inexperienced Surbiton Men’s 1st XI squad – shorn of all their five current England internationals – just failed to snatch a point after a gutsy late comeback in the West Country on Sunday afternoon.

The EHL National Premier Division leaders found themselves 3-0 down to tenth-placed rock-bottom University of Exeter five minutes into the second half. But after three goals in six minutes – two from Tim Pinnock and one from Mike Houlihan – it looked like Surbiton had rescued a point with just seven minutes remaining. However, a defensive foot in the circle 22 seconds from time conceded a penalty corner, taken in time added on after the final whistle and powered into the net to give the University their first victory and only fourth point of the season.

With Reading winning 2-1 at East Grinstead, Surbiton drop one point behind the Berkshire side to second in the table, but still 12 points ahead of sixth-placed Bowdon in the race to complete the seven remaining fixtures in one of the top-five end-of-season play-off places for the National Championship and three EuroLeague 2010/11 qualifying spots.

This Sunday Surbiton have a home fixture against fourth-placed East Grinstead, who will be missing their one England international compared to Surbiton’s five.

(369 words) All five Surbiton England internationals – Richard Alexander, Matt Daly, Ben Hawes, Rob Moore and James Tindall - were playing for the national squad on Thursday before last when Daly scored his country’s second goal, from open play in the 48th minute, as they lost 4-3 to the Netherlands at Seville in Spain. The next day Daly was rested and Tindall scored the third goal in the 44th minute from open play as England came back to win the second international 3-1.